Reed holder for looms



Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED sTaTss i 1,567,82e PATENT OFFICE. f

WALLACE I. STIMPSON, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COR- PORATION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

REED HOLDER FOR LOOMS.

Application led .Tune 21, 1924. Serial No. 721,407.

To .all whom t 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE I. STIMP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hopedale, in the county of Vorcester and Stato of Massachusetts, have invented an Iminovement in Reed Holders for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to the lay construction whereby the reed which is carried by the lay is held accurately and permanently secured in its operative position. f f

As now ordinarily constructed, the lay beam, and sometimes the hand rail of the lay, is provided with grooves for receiving the upper and lower bars of the reed. The lay beam and hand rail are made of wood, with they result that the constantly recurring beat-up movements of the reed cause rapid wear between the grooves of the lay beam and hand rail and the reed bars to such an extent that the reed becomes loose and fails to effectively beat up the filling to the fell ofthe cloth. This lost motion is sometimes increased by the fact that in many reeds the upper and lower bars or portions thereof are formed of metal which gradually eats into the wood of the lay beam and hand rail, and finally are so loosely supported as to become non-effectual in operation.`

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for preventing this wear between the reed and parts which carrry it and to eectually maintain the reed in its operative position without lost motion orobjectionable play. In accordance with the present invention, the lay beam, and in some instances the hand rail also, is provided with grooves in the wood thereof to receive the upper and lower bars of the reed and a metallic liner is interposed between the grooves of they beam, and in some instances between the grooves of the hand rail and the bars of the reed, with the result that the reed is held in its operative relation with the lay without lost mo` tion or wear between the parts.

In the form of the invention herein illustrated the lay beam and hand rail are provided with reed retaining grooves which are formed in the wood of these parts, and

a metallic liner conforming to the crosssectional shape of the grooves and resting upon the walls thereof is interposed between the walls of the grooves and the upper and lower bars of the reed. The metallic liner is preferably made of sheet metal which covers all exposed surfaces of the groove in which it is secured, and for-nis between the surfaces of said grooves and the upper and lower rails of the reed substantial, non-wearing, supporting surfaces.

The novel features of the invention and new combination of parts will best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form of the invention.

In'the drawings:

Fig. 1- is a perspective view ofportions of the lay,- partsl being broken away to show the 'association of the invention therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective sectional view showing the lay beam and hand rail eacih provided with the present invention; an

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view partly in section, and partly broken away to show the relation of the liner in the retainer groove, either on the lay beam or hand rail.

The lay may be of usual construction and is supported, as is customary, by lay swords l, rising from a lower or rock shaft, not shown, and in order to give the beatup movement of the lay, as usual, the lay is operated from the arms 2 which may be conveniently actuated from the usual crank shaft of the loom. These parts form no essential part of the present invention and need no further elucidation. The lay beam 3 is formed of wood and may have the usual race plate 4 on which the shuttle travels during its flight. Above the lay beam 3 is the hand rail 5 which is secured, as usual, in separated relation with the lay beam. In the present instance of the invention, the hand rail 5 is adjustably secured to the lay by means of the brackets 6 and the adjusting wing nuts 7. These parts may be of usual construction.

The lay beam 3 is provided with a reed retaining groove 8 which extends longitudinally of the lay beam from end to end thereof. Likewise the hand rail 5 is shown as provided with a reed bar retaining groove 9 which maybe similarly formed in the Wood of the hand rail. The grooves v8 and 9 may be of a shape in cross-section to accommodate the lower and upper bars of the reed, and as shown, are of substantial V-shape in cross-section, but of course such shape may be varied within the true scope of the present invention, although such il-shape is preferred.

The reed comprises the lower and upper reed bars v10 and 11 respectively, between which the dents 12 of the reed are held. The construction of the reed itself may be substantially as usual or of any preferred character.

In accordance with the present invention the reed retaining grooves formed in the wood of the lay beam-and hand rail are provided with metallic liners shaped in substantial -accordance with the shape of the groove in these parts, so that the wing porf tions'of the liner will rest upon and be'l supported by the walls of the reed retaining grooves.

The liner 13, as best shown by Fig. 3, is formed of metal and in cross-section is V- sliape, in confirmation with the cross-section of the reed retaining groove to which it is applied. In the present instance, the liner 13 is formed of sheet metal and is substaiitially V-shaped in cross-section, and comprises the two wing portions 14 and 15 joined at their meeting edge 16. In forming the liner 13 it may be conveniently shaped or rolled during its course of manufacture so that the liner 13 presents in such case an integral structure shaped in accordance l'with the shape of the groove to which it is applied.

The liner 13, as shown, has its walls resting upon the surfaces of the correspondingly shaped reed retaining groovetand in the present instance the wing portions 14 and 15 extend upwardly from the lower intersection-of the wing portions to an extent sufficient to receive between the wing portions 14 `andi-15 the bar of the reed, and aiford'not only a support for the reed in a vertical "direction, but also in a lateral direction, with the result that during the operation of the lay, the metallic liner 13 gives completeand ample support to the reed and prevents the wear that would otherwise occur should the reed be retained in position by the wooden surfaces of the groove itself.

rilhe liners 13 may be formed conveniently as a continuous piece, extending the full length of the grooves which they are intended to line. ln order to maintain the liners 13 in operative position in the grooves of the lay beam and hand rail, such liners may be secured by any appropriate means to maintain the wing portions 1st and 15 of the liners resting upon and supported by the walls of the groove. 1n the present instance the liners are secured in their grooves by means of the screws or familiar fastening devices 17, as indicated in F ig. 3. i

The V-formation in cross-section of the reed retaining grooves in the lay beam and hand rail are preferred, because by adjustment of the hand rail towards the lay beam,

the wedging action of the V-grooves serve to positively and firmly secure the reed in its operative position, although in some instances, the particular shape of the reed retaining grooves may be varied, so long as the metallic liner is interposed between the walls of the wooden groove and the bars of the reed, in order that the latter may not Contactin any case with the wood of the lay.

From the construction described, it will be apparent that the invention provides a simple, effective and positive means for preventing the wear that now usually occurs where the reed is retained in position on the lay by means of grooves formed in the wood of the lay beam and hand rail, and during the operation of the loom the reed will be firmly held in )position without play or lost motion, even a ter a long lapse of time.

That is claimed is:

In a loom, the combination of the lay beam provided with a reed retaining groove formed in the wood of the lay and having a V-shaped configuration in cross'section to receive the lower reed bar with a wedging action, a metallic liner comprising a strip of metal bent about its longitudinal aXis to form a ii-shaped trough adapted to fit the V -shaped groove to protect its sloping walls from the chaiing action of the reed bar within the groeve, and securing means eX- tending thru the inclined side walls of the metal strip intothe lay to secure the side walls of the protecting strip firmly against the inclined walls of the groove.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to l this specification.

WALLACE I. STIMPSON. 

